The Azerbaijan State News Agency

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Magnitude 6.6 quake strikes Papua New Guinea

16.06.2011 [13:31]
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Baku, June 16 (AZERTAC). A shallow 6.6-magnitude earthquake has struck off the New Britain coast of Papua New Guinea, the USGS says, but no tsunami warning has been issued.

Geoscience Australia put the depth of the quake at 37 kilometres while the US Geological Survey said it was 21 kilometres.

The quake struck 175 kilometres east of Kandrian on New Britain and 577 kilometres northeast of the capital Port Moresby.

"It was pretty benign," said an official at Geoscience Australia.

"It is not likely to have caused any damage."

Papua New Guinea, which is mired in poverty despite rich mineral deposits, sits on the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire", a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.

A giant tsunami in 1997, caused by an undersea earthquake or a landslide, killed more than 3500 people near Aitapi, on the country`s northwest coast.